Jandy and Elan Pair up in Backyard Paradise

Integration of two systems lets homeowners operate their swimming pool and audio system from one iPad app.

The Jandy system that operates the swimming pool, fountains and waterfall for a 50-foot slide is smart all on its own, but by putting it under the control of an Elan g! system, the owners of this extensive backyard renovation are able to integrate the water effects with audio and video conveniently from a single iPad app.

Already familiar with the benefits of using a single control system to operate their home theater and whole-house audio system, the decision to incorporate the electronics of the outdoor area was a given, says John Goldenne, a custom electronics (CE) professional with Digital Home Technologies, the Palatine, Ill.-based company hired to extend the A/V and control systems to the backyard.

The homeowners were happy with the audio and video options available to them from inside the house—with the recent addition of a Fusion Ovation music streamer–so Digital Home Technologies pulled cabling from the home’s central rack of A/V gear to the planned locations for two outdoor 55-inch SunBrite TVs and two zones of weather-hardy speakers, which includes Sonance Sonarray speakers (eight satellite speaker and one below-ground subwoofer) around the swimming pool and a pair of SpeakerCraft OE8 speakers mounted by the Sunbrite TV under an arbor. Wiring was also added to connect the Jandy pool controls to the Elan g! home control processor. Tucked behind the home’s gutter and trenched into the yard, the cabling, although extensive, is imperceptible.

The homeowners can use a wall-mounted keypad inside the house or their iPad to direct music and video from the inside of the house to the outside. By scrolling to a “pool page” designed by Digital Home Technologies, the owners can operate the swimming pool and other water features as if they were standing in front of the Jandy controls.